When rafflecopter was first introduced, I thought it was rather neat. I liked how easy it was to enter, and also the back-end of things. However, the new of rafflecopter has wore off, and I have noticed bloggers are getting a bit wild with it. This is causing companies to lose the buzz they are reaching out for.
I have been entering giveaways for awhile now, and what annoys me is when a blogger is using rafflecopter, and they have 5 mandatory entries, and not one has to do with the sponsor of the item. I mean come on 5 mandatory entries… let’s be real here, isn’t that a bit much, and to NOT promote the sponsor a bit better. Don’t you think that is a bit tacky. The company goes out of their way to get you a product for review, they also give you one to giveaway, and you cannot make the mandatory about the company.
This looks bad on bloggers, and gives them a bad name.
Another thing that annoys me, and many others entering giveaways (yes, I have spoke with several). When a blogger has their giveaway and they give massive amounts of entries per thing in rafflecopter. I assume this is to make them look good to the sponsor. You know one of those, “Hey look I got over 2,000 entries in a giveaway for ink pens, I roxerz ur soxerz off now”.
I think it is time some come back to reality. You know the time before rafflecopter. Sure, rafflecopter is awesome when it is not being overly used. Just because you have over 2k “entries” into your giveaway does not make you special, nor does it make you look good to PR, when you are offering 10+ per thing a person does. Now get 2,000 different people to enter, and then you will rock!
Bottom line, bloggers are abusing rafflecopter in ways to be of more benefit to themselves, and are taking away from the companies. Let’s keep in mind, you are being given product to review, and companies are offering you product as giveaway. This is for YOU to help bring more buzz to the product NOT bring more buzz to your blog. Yes, it is a great way to bring your numbers up, but should you really be doing that at the companies expense?
About Jammie Morey
I agree with this completely. I do not have a blog, but get very confused when there is nothing about the sponsor in the giveaway. With Rafflecopter, it sometimes is hard to find a link to the sponsor’s site to see what kind of items they sell! If I have to google the sponsor name to get to the site, the blogger is not doing their job.
I too also hate the 10 entries per entry item. Another thing that I do not like about Rafflecopter is the gathering of blogs to give away one large item. They make you follow MORE than 30 pages just to be entered as a mandatory step! Also, it says you can only enter at 1 blog, but if there are 50 blogs participating while I regularly go to 25 of them and they do not list the giveaway by the same name, how am I to know I’ve already entered for it?!
Don’t get me wrong, I love rafflecopter, but some bloggers are not only taking advantage of the sponsor in the ways you mentioned, but also the readers.
I don’t like it when all the bloggers get together and have the same giveaway for all blogs either. It makes it very confusing when you do enter. If they are going to do that, then they need to allow you to enter at each blog. I wish they would stop abusing rafflecopter, because it would be a very good platform for giveaways, and it would help the sponsors out.
It seems bloggers are caring more about their blogs over the sponsors that are making their blog possible.
OMG SO TRUE!! It makes me sick!! UGHHHHHH
I just wish things would go back to normal. I have talked to several different ones that enter giveaways, and they are about ready to give up.
I just wrote something similar and found your blog while searching for Rafflecopter images. I love entering and hosting on Rafflecopter, but I agree that the ease of use has caused some people to lose all restraint. I just don’t understand the need to have over 20 entry options, or give 5-10 entries for every single option so it looks like you have a crazy high number of entries.
Hi Rachel,
I left a comment on that post! I do believe I used my other blog, and my other name though. I too… love entering on rafflecopter, but way to many bloggers are abusing the purpose of it. When it takes over an hour to enter ONE giveaway it becomes too much. Hopefully the guys over at rafflecopter will start putting a limit on how many extras you can have. After all I am sure it is killing their bandwidth!
I completely agree! I hate when bloggers make all the entries “follow this blog on twitter, facebook, pinterest, networkedblogs, subscribe via email, blah blah blah” that is why I do not enter most Rafflecopter giveaways anymore – its abuse! I love yours, the are simple and to the point! ♥